What color for my Ferguson cultivator

[David Wayne]

I bought a Ferguson NKO-21 two row cultivator to restore & sell. I like to keep the correct color when restoring but this has no paint left on it, even on disassembled parts. except for some red on the depth gauge brackets, but it is a rolling coulter possibly off a dearborn, I think Ferguson used a flat blade.
So was Ferguson equipment red like Dearborn or gray like their tractors?

 

[Tompet]

http://fergusontractors.org/nfs/wp-content/uploads/paint/Paint-Color-Numbers.pdf

Try second page of this PDF link. I have a TO20 and my guess it would be fergie gray...the original plow was same gray.

 

[Bigeclipse]

Go completely crazy color!

 

[jeff9366]

The late Harry Ferguson, a rather austere Scotch-Irishman, would NOT approve of color crazy.

Ferguson's two early prototypes were black but showed too much dirt. Still moderately flexible at that age, he changed to BATTLESHIP GRAY.

 

[David Wayne]

Found some traces of gray on the back of the shanks. So as un-appealing as it is, gray it will be.
Thanks

 

[sixdogs]

As you just confirmed, it is Ferguson gray. I've rebuilt a number of them and if you take the shovels off and clean it up right, it a beautiful piece of equipment when you're done. Here's a rebuild thread on a Dearborn unit I did and there are some pointers you might benefit from.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/312434-1950s-dearborn-cultivator-find-rebuild.html

For paint, I would strongly suggest you get it at a Ford dealer or maybe a MF dealer sells it. Factory paint is so much better and farm store paint is mostly cheap cr@p. If you replace any bolts, try to get fine thread like was originally used and use blue Loc-tite when you put it together.

 

[jeff9366]

Harry Ferguson was insistent that precisely TWO THREADS, no more, no less, protrude past properly tightened nuts.

He insisted all bolts be greased.

 

[Doloe]

Why not let the buyer pick the color.
Some folks seem to like all their equipment to match.

 

[jeff9366]

Ferguson had some traits in common with Henry Ford, the first licensee of Ferguson's Three Point Hitch patents, in 1938.

Ford customers could have any color Model T or Model A car, so long as it was black. Ferguson, pioneer in light tractors and implement design, offered any color, so long as it was Battleship Gray.

Both were champions of function over form. It cost both customers.

 

[sixdogs]

Harry Ferguson was insistent that precisely TWO THREADS, no more, no less, protrude past properly tightened nuts.

He insisted all bolts be greased.

I've noticed the uniformity and appearance of bolts over the years and that sure explains a lot. His bolts were all an odd length so replacements aren't the way it should be. I suppose you could still buy factory length but some Ferguson/MF parts are stupid expensive.